EC set to investigate Network Solutions

The European Commission confirmed today that it is to investigate the behaviour of domain name registrar Network Solutions Inc (NSI).

The EC also revealed that it has written to the Department of Commerce (DoC) in the US - which is itself currently conducting a review of NSI's operations - to highlight its concerns.

A spokesman for the EC said that Europe needed to catch up with the US on the issue, and that quick action was needed. He expected the EC's investigation to be completed in the autumn.

NSI has been widely condemned over the last year for dragging its feet over the deregulation of the market, especially by making it difficult for potential competitors to access its databases of information.

The investigation by the EC will focus on two areas - specifically contracts with two Scandinavian companies, and the state of the competitive environment in the wake of US deregulation.

Tom Barrett, CEO of domain name registrar NetNames, said that although many of the issues would be resolved in the US, the EC was right to put pressure on NSI. "They needed to hear the voices of other parties and the EC."

He added that he had already started working with the EC on its investigation, and accused NSI of trying to "claim private ownership of a public database."